Trash is destroying our environment; someday, it will destroy humans.
The amount of trash and pollution only grows to new numbers as time passes. Although it may not seem like it, trash affects everyone much more than most people think. However, anyone can help reduce this issue. According to Carlmont Green Team President Tara Krishnan, we can help reduce the amount of trash by using mesh bags for produce, soap bars, and shampoo bars instead of body wash.
“I have eliminated all single-use plastics from my household,” Krishnan said.
Since its discovery in 1997, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has only increased in size and fatalities. Justin Imamura is the founder and president of the San Jose nonprofit Trashpunx.
“We’re gonna see more of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch if we don’t do something about it now,” Imamura said.
Imamura also said that all the trash thrown away leeches into the soil and poisons the plants in the surrounding area. In 2017, Imamura started his nonprofit because he didn’t like the sight of illegal dumping and noticed that nothing was being done to take care of it. Krishnan’s journey to help save the environment began after she experienced climate change via the CZU fires that turned the sky orange in 2020.
Trash of all shapes and sizes can cause severe damage to wildlife and humans and be very detrimental to our environment and communities. More specifically, plastic kills over 100 million animals a year and will continue to increase as time goes on. Trash has also made its way to several national parks, impacting and potentially ruining the scenery. However, there are ways to push back against the increasing amount of trash and help save the environment.
“The number one thing I would change to help the environment would be policies on waste disposal standards,” Krishnan said.
Imamura echoed the sentiment, claiming he would get rid of all single-use plastic.
“Trash is gonna outweigh our wildlife. We won’t have much of a world for our kids and our kids’ kids,” Imamura said.
In San Jose, Imamura said there is a program where the city inspects each individual’s trash and determines if they recycle correctly. Depending on whether the individual is correct or not, they will receive a green “good job sticker” or a red “oops sticker,” which the city places on top of their trash can.
“I think the San Jose program should be implemented here,” Krishnan said.
Imamura also said that some countries reuse items and fix broken things. Our potential future if trash pile-ups continue is very grim.
“If we don’t do something about it, we will be drowning in our own trash soon,” Imamura said.
A shocking fact that Krishnan shared was that microplastics harm fish and humans. She explained that microplastics break down and fish eventually eat them, and then these microplastics end up inside humans and can even enter someone’s brain. Krishnan also mentioned that some people don’t feel the impact of trash on the environment unless they experience it firsthand.
After asking what she does and recommending people to do to help protect the environment, Krishnan said to bring leftovers home, avoid using plastics, and reduce food waste.
“Every person, no matter how small the action, whatever you do can help,” Krishnan said.
Imamura said not to use plastic bags and water bottles since they are the world’s number one cause of plastic. He also said that single-use plastic says it’s recyclable even though it isn’t. Another thing was to use non-plastics and aluminum cans.
“Everything affects one another, the issue is that anybody can help with this,” Imamura said. “My organization already collected a quarter of a million pounds of trash.”
When asked what Carlmont students and administration can do to help keep the campus clean. Krishnan shared the Green Team’s plans to solve the issue. She said there aren’t clear signs about where people should place trash and is working with the administration to get three bins for compost, trash, and recycling placed all around campus.
“There’s a ton of trash on campus. It’s a lot,” said Gavin Barroquillo, a junior at Carlmont High School.
Krishnan feels the same, noting the increase in trash around the school.
“There has been a lot of trash on campus; we already know how to clean up waste, it’s just making people do those things. The smallest changes have the greatest effect on our environment,” Krishnan said.
Imamura also notes how serious this situation is.
“We only have one ocean,” Imamura said.
